


Two Sides of The Same Coin

by Nafffy (LeFemmeChevalier)



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Drama, Eventual Romance, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:55:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeFemmeChevalier/pseuds/Nafffy
Summary: There are always two sides to every story.
Relationships: Chou Tzuyu/Myoui Mina
Comments: 3
Kudos: 115





	1. Tzuyu Likes(?) Romantic Movies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"So at the end of the day, no matter what genre life throws her way, she will always be at peace knowing that as long as she has Mina, she can always see romance everywhere."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tzuyu's POV

"This one! I want to watch this one."

Jihyo laughed, amused at her friend's choice. "You've watched that movie like a hundred times already. Can't we watch something else?"

Nayeon gasped dramatically, her eyes widening in faux indignation as she haughtily pointed the remote to the other girl. "You traitor. I thought you love romance?"

"There are lots to choose from," Jeongyeon intercepted as she wrestled the remote from the older girl. "And this is a movie night for all of us. Choose something that _we_ can all watch." She then called for a vote, ignoring Nayeon who is whining from her right as everyone pitch in, their combined voices getting louder and louder.

Throughout it all, Tzuyu just remained quiet, oddly comforted by the chaos around her. It has been a while since everyone got together to hangout. So when most of their schedules got cancelled due to an unforeseen circumstance, they all decided to take advantage of it by strengthening their bond as a group.

So after ignoring Sana's brilliant idea to get drunk and see what happens next, they collectively decided that a movie night is the only logical (and sane) choice.

"Tzuyu!" She looked at Jeongyeon's direction—the girl is still wrestling with their unrelenting eldest—and saw the older girl's expectant look. "You choose. Hurry."

Despite being the youngest, Tzuyu became the unspoken decider of the group. Maybe it's because she doesn't always participate with their debates and will only voice out her opinion when necessary. Or maybe, like Nayeon said, she has a tendency to not be swayed by anyone and will just go for what she wants instead.

But there is another reason, at least nowadays. And as she glance at the blonde beside her, whose head was resting peacefully on her shoulder throughout the commotion but is now looking at her with a serene smile, Tzuyu can't help but just go along with it.

"How about something exciting?" And with that declaration, everyone agreed to watch an action film instead. Tzuyu can hear Mina's soft chuckle and felt the familiar weight on her shoulder and the familiar arms wrapping around her waist.

And as Tzuyu gently rest her head atop the older girls head, subtly sighing in peaceful contentment as the sounds of firing guns demanded the group's attention, Tzuyu thinks that she made the right choice.

* * *

Tzuyu, unlike most of her members, doesn't enjoy romantic movies.

It's not that she hated it. In fact, she enjoyed watching it every now and then. But she couldn't empathize with it the way Nayeon and Jihyo could as both ooh'ed and ahh'ed at every romantic interactions.

"Maybe you're just too young," Jihyo offered as an explanation when Tzuyu nonchalantly expressed how she's not particularly invested in such stories.

Nayeon chuckled at that. "Chaeyoung and her are the same age and she loves it." The older girl then smirked at her, the teasing in her eyes apparent. "Maybe you're just not the romantic type. Your future boyfriend will be very disappointed."

Beside her, Mina just kept quiet which is unsurprising—the older girl has always been the quiet type. But Tzuyu can tell she is definitely listening when Mina suddenly stopped playing with Tzuyu's hands (a habit Mina acquired whenever they're seated together), presumably a sign that she is paying more attention to their conversation.

Tzuyu rolled her eyes at that as she absentmindedly reach out for Mina's now idle hands and placing them on her lap—a habit she acquired for reasons she can't remember at the time. "I'm just not interested, unnie."

"You mean not yet." The oldest girl then patted hear head as Mina cuddle closer to her, entrapping Tzuyu's arm with both of her own. "But when the time comes that you finally fall in love, you'll try to get your hands on anything that could help you sort out your feelings."

"Is that what happened to you, unnie?"

Tzuyu can hear Mina's soft giggle despite the loudness of Jihyo's laughter as Tzuyu playfully duck her head away from Nayeon's big hands.

* * *

Nayeon, in Tzuyu's opinion, is incredibly observant. As opposed to her, Tzuyu thinks she's incredibly slow on the uptake when it comes to things that doesn't personally concern her.

It's not that she doesn't care—she actually does especially when things are about to go sour. It's just that when she feels like it's none of her business, she would instead look the other way and let the others sort out their stuff on their own.

She believes it's more polite that way.

But for some reason, everything Mina does will always catch her eyes. Every little thing she does, for some reason, fascinated her: the way she smile, the way she talk, the curious way her awkward movements will always morph into elegance, and the feminine grace she exudes even in silence.

"You're staring again." Nayeon, despite being the noisiest of them all just by moving, managed to startle Tzuyu. "I'm hurt. You never stare at me like that."

"What?" Tzuyu can feel her eyebrows scrunching at the sight of pouting Nayeon. "What are you talking about, unnie?"

The pout morphed into a teasing grin as Nayeon pointedly looked at Mina who was dancing a few meters away from them. "Her. You _always_ stare at her. You didn't know?"

At her words, Tzuyu can feel something unfamiliar coiling in her stomach and a rush of heat in her chest. But as usual, her face didn't betray her. "I was just watching her dance." Tzuyu wasn't lying; she really was watching Mina dance. It became a habit of sort.

Nayeon just chuckled before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Sure you were." And with that confusing statement, the older girl walked away while humming to their latest track leaving a frowning Tzuyu behind.

In Tzuyu's opinion, Nayeon is incredibly observant. And at the time, it both confused and aggravated her because she couldn't fully understand their eldest member words and actions.

But when she finally realized that she has fallen in love with Mina, a complication she never expected to happen, she was thankful to the older girl for noticing something that Tzuyu has yet to understand.

* * *

Tzuyu is not exactly a self-conscious person. It may seem like it at times whenever she kept quiet despite being around so many people, but it's just actually her zoning out.

But for some unknown reason, she started becoming hyper-aware of Mina. In the past, being close to her doesn't bother Tzuyu—in fact, being close to Mina is one of the things that brings her comfort. 

But as time goes by, she can't help the feeling of awkwardness whenever the other girl comes close. It was especially apparent to Tzuyu when, one time, Mina came too close for comfort—something that never bothered her in the past—and Tzuyu immediately gave a lame excuse before running away, her heartbeat so loud she thought everyone in the building could hear it.

The whole thing is driving Tzuyu nuts. So in an attempt to get her sanity in check, she decided that the only logical way to deal with it is to stay away from Mina.

At least for a while until she can sort herself out.

It was hard at first seeing how they've become inseparable, but their hectic schedule and Tzuyu's weird but oddly useful ability to move undetected—despite her towering height—made things fairly easy.

She thought she was doing a good job until Nayeon came along to tell her otherwise.

"Stop that." Tzuyu felt a strong arm loop around her neck—almost a headlock but gentler. "You're not being nice."

Confused, Tzuyu glanced at the older girl and noticed the rare sternness etched on her face. "What exactly am I doing, unnie?"

The older girl sighed, a tinge of disappointment in her face that Tzuyu failed to notice because she was too busy noticing how Nayeon's heels are high enough for the older girl to be able to look at her straight in the eyes without tilting her head up. "Stop avoiding Mina. It's not nice."

At that, Tzuyu's attention snapped. "I am not avoiding her." She was disappointed at how her defensive her voice came out. She subtly cleared her throat before trying again. "Seriously, I'm not."

"Look." The other girl came closer, her voice now a whisper. "Mina is good at picking up things. So if she noticed that you're avoiding her, it meant you _are_ avoiding her."

Tzuyu, despite herself, chanced a look at Mina who was quietly sitting in the sofa with her phone on one hand. And a few seconds later, she saw how the girl glanced her way before looking back down on her phone again.

"Let's talk later, okay?" Tzuyu almost didn't hear Nayeon's parting words as the older girl finally let her go.

* * *

When she realized that she feelings for Mina, the first thing that came to her mind is how she's too inexperienced to deal with this kind of drama.

"Maybe it's just a crush," she can't help but reason out as Nayeon look at her with both sympathy and amusement. "Maybe it's nothing."

The other girl nodded sagely, seemingly trying to be supportive of her but Tzuyu can see how hard she is holding back that omnipresent teasing smile. "Maybe."

"I mean, it's not like it's that weird. Mina-unnie is very pretty."

"She is."

"And so talented."

"Yes. Very talented."

"And have you seen the way she smile? It's like everything lights up, you know?"

"...huh."

"She's like an angel."

"Uhuh."

"A very melancholic angel who gets sad at times but is still trying to bring smiles to others." Tzuyu then glanced at the older girl who has stopped responding. "Do you get what I'm saying, unnie?"

The teasing smile finally broke through. Tzuyu whined pathetically as she hid her red face behind a nearby pillow as the older girl threw her head back in laughter.

"Yep," the older girl finally said, breathless due to laughter. "Just a crush, Tzuyu. Just a crush."

* * *

One of things that Tzuyu and Mina can agree on is the idea that routine is comfortable. But unlike Mina, Tzuyu is unafraid of taking risks—she sees it as an opportunity for growth.

Which is why, despite the realization that she sees Mina as more than a friend, the idea of ruining what they have just to satisfy her need to have her feelings validated is, in Tzuyu's opinion, a foolish move. She just can't see the point of it.

But Nayeon disagree.

"There is nothing wrong with telling her how you feel."

Tzuyu groaned, getting a bit tired of the topic. "Unnie. Listen to yourself. Do you think the awkwardness that'll come after is worth it?" She then tried to step away from Nayeon and she sighed in frustration when the older girl immediately blocked her way. "We still work together. The group can't afford this kind of complication."

"Are you going to leave Twice because of her?"

"What?" Tzuyu was taken back at the sudden question. "No, of course not."

But Nayeon wasn't done. "Are you going to abandon Mina if she reject you?"

Tzuyu scoffed, a bit offended at the suggestion. "Of course not. I would never."

"But you ignored her a few days ago," Nayeon pointed out and Tzuyu sighed, feeling the familiar shame in her gut at her previous immature action.

"I won't do it again."

Nayeon gave her a you-better-not look before humming in thought. "Do you think she'll abandon you because of your feelings for her?"

Tzuyu paused at that. "I'm not sure, unnie."

The older girl sighed in exasperation. "Of course she won't. Chaeyoung confessed to Mina about her crush a while back and did _they_ become awkward after?"

"I'm not as stupid as Chaeyoung, unnie."

"You mean you're not as _brave_ as Chaeyoung," the older girl tut-tutted. "And at least by confessing, you'll be able to explain why you've acted like a dick earlier."

Tzuyu just kept quiet at that, aware that she has nothing to say to defend herself.

"Whether you like it or not, you know I'm making sense."

"Yes, unnie."

"So you agree? You'll confess to her?"

"You are awfully pushy about this," Tzuyu simply said, not acknowledging the fact that Nayeon is making a lot of sense right now. "Don't tell me you enjoy the idea of me being rejected?"

The older girl just threw her head in laughter before giving her a playful wink. "Let's just see how it goes, okay?"

* * *

When Tzuyu finally confessed to Mina, the other girl just stared at her for a whole minute afterwards.

The days leading to it is pure headache. Nayeon, in her infinite albeit questionable wisdom, decided to give her a list of movies to watch to 'prepare' her for the 'big reveal'.

"Do I have to?" Tzuyu asked, almost desperately, as Nayeon squeaked in triumph before putting a crumpled piece of paper on the younger girl's hands. Tzuyu was about to comment on Nayeon illegible handwriting when the older girl suddenly gave one loud clap.

"You are not romantic," Nayeon deadpanned before her face broke into a proud grin. "So I'm going to teach you how to become one."

"Unnie, this is unnecessary. Nothing is going to happen."

When the older girl looked at her with a questioning, almost defiant look, Tzuyu sighed before elaborating. "Even if I do confess to her, nothing's going to change." Tzuyu absentmindedly crumpled the already crumpled paper before adding, "so this is pointless."

"Let's just see how it goes, okay?" Nayeon said, repeating the same words over and over again for the last few days. Tzuyu assumed that it's the older girl's way of calming her down, but the ever-present confident smirk that came with those words just made things more aggravating for Tzuyu. "Just watch these. It could help." The older girl then left her be after announcing how hungry she is.

Tzuyu, succumbing to the inevitable torturous hours to come, decided to turn on the television for movie number one. But as Tzuyu finished the third movie, she felt something she has never felt before:

Heartbreak.

The movies all ended with a happy ending, but the only thing that she got out of it is that she could never have that with Mina.

Tzuyu has always been a realist—her ideals more grounded in reality as opposed to mere wishful thinking. But it doesn't make her a pessimist; she just believe in following a set of rules to make something a reality. It is something she learned from her parents who believes that hard work is the key to success.

But sometimes, there are things that will always remain as wishful thinking. And in Tzuyu's opinion, having a happily ever after with Mina (in a romantic sense) is one of those.

So when she decided to just get it over it and confess, she was already heartbroken. And when—after letting herself be vulnerable for once by pouring her heart out in an almost jumbled mess of words—she confessed, she felt both embarrassed and, weirdly enough, relieved.

But that relief was short-lived when she was met with silence. And as the silence stretch to a full minute, her mind then started thinking of ways to salvage the situation by downplaying her confession.

So imagine her surprise when, instead of hearing an emphatic but expected words of rejection, she instead felt a set of unfamiliar lips on hers. Mina acted so suddenly that Tzuyu froze for a few seconds, uncomprehending, before timidly kissing the older girl back.

And when they both decided that humans needed oxygen to survive, they finally parted. Tzuyu, still reeling, asked the only thing her mind could come up with:

"Why?"

To her surprise, Mina laughed—the kind of laughter that never fails to elicit a smile from Tzuyu. Smiling, the other girl then gently cupped her cheeks while looking at her in a way that is both familiar and unfamiliar.

"Because I love you, too."

* * *

As time goes by, Tzuyu learned that romantic movies are not so bad after all. In fact, she started actively looking for things to watch.

It became a sort of a running joke in their group. For some reason, the idea of Tzuyu watching romantic movies before going to bed is amusing to everyone especially to Nayeon. So when a question about Tzuyu liking romantic movies came up during one of their taped broadcast, Nayeon took advantage of the opportunity to tease Tzuyu again.

"Tzuyu is the kind of person who sees romance in every movies." The younger girl just smiled as their eldest continue, still with that ever-present teasing smile. "Even if it's horror or action, she will always see the romantic aspect in it."

"I get it." Jihyo, like the good leader that she is, tried to shift the focus to herself. "I like romance, too."

But despite all the teasing, there is something that Tzuyu never bothered to correct: her sudden fascination with romantic movies. It's not that she suddenly became in love with romantic movies. It's just that, in a way, she could finally see the appeal of it now that she is living her own.

In some way, watching romantic movies became her solace at times when she felt like everything is not going well—in a way, being reminded that things will be okay in the end is one of the things that kept Tzuyu sane through some tough times.

And as she hold the now sleeping girl closer, gently settling her slumbering body against her own in a more comfortable and stable position, she was reminded again how romantic movies are not so bad after all—maybe because, in an unexpected twist of fate, the universe deigned her worthy to be given her very own happily ever after.

So at the end of the day, no matter what genre life throws her way, she will always be at peace knowing that as long as she has Mina, she can always see romance everywhere.

* * *

**End**


	2. Mina's Tzuyu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"So when she started to feel herself drift off, lulled by the rhythm of Tzuyu's heartbeat, she idly thought how grateful she is for moments like these—the kind of moments where she can cling to Tzuyu as tightly and as much as she could without anyone reminding her to let go. The kind of moments where Tzuyu can express herself more without the fear of someone hearing her be uncharacteristically sweet to Mina."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mina's POV

Love is something Mina has never bothered with. Or rather, it's not something she has spent her time mulling over—she has better things to do like games and ballet. 

Love is always out of the question. For her, it was always a concept meant for movies—which she has no interest in because she likes her films full of gunshots and fight scenes—and those dramas Nayeon adore so much.

So when she realized that she is in love with someone who probably cared less about love compared to her, she found it amusing despite panicking over being in love with Chou Tzuyu.

* * *

If you ask Mina what she finds odd about Tzuyu, she can enumerate each and every one of them by the order of when she noticed it.

The first one is how often the younger girl ignores her and everyone else.

"You okay?" Mina heard herself ask for the fourth time as she tap the younger girl gently on her arm.

When Mina first asked her this, she saw the surprise in the younger girl's face as she automatically answered her with a nod before promptly ignoring her again. So of course Mina had to ask again and again. And by the fourth question, the younger girl finally laughed before making an effort to explain.

"I'm okay, unnie. Don't worry about me." At the sight of disbelief in Mina's expression, Tzuyu laughed again before elaborating. "It's just a habit. I tend to zone out a lot."

That alone explained so much in Mina's opinion. In a way, she felt relieved because, in the past, she gets confused about Tzuyu.

That leads to the second thing Mina finds odd about her—her undefinable social skills. At first, Mina compared Tzuyu to a younger version of herself who was too shy to approach anyone and everyone. But as time goes by, she realized that unlike her, Tzuyu is neither shy nor scared—she is just the kind of person who enjoys being alone but has no trouble socializing if she wants to.

Tzuyu is a contradiction of sorts—the kind of person who is hard to define and can only be fully understood with time. She is someone Mina has never experienced before and that, in itself, led to the third thing that Mina finds odd in Tzuyu:

Mina, for some reason, is very drawn to her.

Every little thing Tzuyu does, it would always catch Mina's attention: like something as simple as quietly chewing a piece of toast in one corner or something as extravagant as posing for a photoshoot looking like an enviable living doll.

There is no exact time that she could pinpoint that would explain when and how she became close to Tzuyu. But as more time passed by, Tzuyu eventually became Mina's favorite person.

* * *

If you ask Mina what she likes about Tzuyu, she will have to pause and think for a while because listing all the things she likes about the other girl will take a lot of time. But if you ask Mina to list the things that stood out the most, she can tell it all in a heartbeat.

Being a classic example of an introvert, Mina finds comfort in silence. And out of everyone, the only person she could be comfortable with is Tzuyu—it's the first thing that Mina likes about her.

The more Mina got to know her, the more she realized that Tzuyu can be just as hyper as anyone in the group. But for some reason, even when she jokes or play around, there is still a sense of calmness in her that Mina couldn't exactly explain.

"Maybe it's the way I talk," Tzuyu suggested when Mina opened up about it to her. "I kinda talk slow even when I'm speaking in Chinese."

"Maybe." They were currently lounging on the sofa with Mina playing some idle games on her phone. After a few minutes, her body decided that sitting up is too exhausting so she settled with laying down with her head atop Tzuyu's lap. "You also don't raise your voice," she added after settling on her new position.

"It's not polite to raise your voice," Tzuyu simply said as she absentmindedly stroke Mina's hair. "Even in confrontation or anger. My mom taught me as much."

Mina just hummed in agreement as they both settled in a comfortable silence. All the while, Tzuyu didn't move as much even as she reached over to get her phone. It was such an inconsequential gesture but it's the second thing Mina likes about Tzuyu—staying still as much as she could whenever any one of them uses her as a human pillow.

"Good evening, lovebirds," Nayeon greeted cheerfully as she walk into the living room, effectively popping Mina's silent bubble with Tzuyu.

"Hey, unnie," Tzuyu replied serenely with a smile, not even slightly bothered by the nonsensical greeting. It's the third thing that Mina likes about Tzuyu—her ability to remain unfazed by immature teasing. "Where are the others?"

Nayeon plopped herself at the far end of the sofa as she made herself comfortable. "Schedules. Have you two eaten, yet? I'm starving."

Mina was about to comment that she doesn't feel like eating when Tzuyu immediately replied for the two of them. "Let's just order something for three. They can order for themselves when they get home."

"You'll want to eat later," Tzuyu explained to Mina when she was about to protest. Nayeon is currently on her phone talking to the restaurant. "It's better to have something ready to eat now than later. Less hassle."

Out of everyone in their group, Tzuyu is the only person who can manage to cut any decision-making in half by immediately deciding on the most appropriate action and insisting on it. For some people, such audacity can seem rude and inconsiderate (especially in Korea where it is expected that the eldest will have the final say). But for Mina, it's the fourth thing she likes about Tzuyu—the innate decisiveness and the appropriate amount of assertiveness that she, herself, lacks.

And as the delivery came and the three of them ate while chatting, Mina is still at peace even when Nayeon started getting rowdy with her storytelling. And even when the others started pouring in, complaining about the lack of food for them and the unfairness of it all, she still felt at peace amidst the growing chaos and the raised voices.

Because out of all the things she likes about Tzuyu, her being always by Mina's side is by far her favorite.

* * *

Mina likes her routine. In a way, it's contradictory seeing that she doesn't do much outside work, but Mina still likes consistency in her life.

And without realizing it, Tzuyu became a constant in her routine. That also meant that whenever she is looking for Tzuyu, she _will_ look for Tzuyu everywhere. As time goes by, everyone just stopped questioning her about it.

"Where is Tzuyu?" Mina is holding her phone with the screen paused to a video of dogs. Ever since Tzuyu excitedly shared her habit of watching dog videos, Mina started watching them, too. And whenever Tzuyu is around, she acquired a habit of sharing it with the younger girl.

Nayeon, who was sprawled on her bed, lazily raised her head to glance at her before answering. "I think she's hanging out with the Jeongyeon. Dog café?"

"Yeah. Dog café," Sana, who was reading a book, added with a nod when Nayeon glanced at her for confirmation. "I think they'll be back after an hour."

Mina just nodded at them, feeling disappointed before reminding herself that an hour is just sixty-minutes away (converting hours into minutes is a childhood habit that she learned to exercise patience). She was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't notice the knowing glances her roommates are throwing her way.

"She is such a girlfriend," Sana faux-whispered towards Nayeon who threw her head back in silent laughter.

"I know, right? It's kinda cute."

Mina, as distracted as she is, didn't hear a single thing.

* * *

When Mina finally realized that she caught feelings, it was a day when absolutely nothing special happened.

They were at the dorm at the time and, as usual, everyone's eyes are glued to the television. It was dinner time and said dinner (delivered, of course) was laid on the ground as usual. The screen is showing one of Nayeon's favorite dramas and, as much as Mina would prefer to watch literally anything else, she can't help but be drawn by the scenes.

"I don't get it," Tzuyu suddenly blurted out as everyone started cleaning up. Because Jeongyeon rightfully insisted that keeping order is necessary, the cleaners were assigned by the days of the week to avoid confusion (and complaints). So Nayeon and Jihyo, who were lounging on the sofa with Tzuyu, simultaneously looked at their youngest with interest.

Mina, after doing her part in cleaning up, plopped herself beside Tzuyu out of habit.

"The drama?"

"The two leads," Tzuyu simply said. "I don't understand why they tiptoe around so much whenever they're together."

"They are still awkward with each other," Mina patiently explained, easily picking up the gist of their conversation. "It's always like that when two people are still getting to know each other," she added, remembering so many stories from her friends to know what she is talking about.

Tzuyu just hummed, pensive, before cuddling closer to Mina. "I don't like those parts."

"Maybe you're just too young," Jihyo said. Mina, who is busy playing with Tzuyu's idle hands with hers, nodded in agreement.

But Nayeon chuckled in reply. "Chaeyoung and her are the same age and she loves it." Mina saw how Nayeon smirked before adding, "maybe you're just not the romantic type. Your future boyfriend will be very disappointed."

At the time, Mina thought she just imagined the way Nayeon's eyes flitted towards her. But she ignored it as she was too busy calming her suddenly erratic heart.

Boyfriend.

Mina thinks Tzuyu is one of the most beautiful girls she has ever seen, if not the most beautiful. And someone as beautiful as her will eventually date someone who is (hopefully) as good-looking as her.

It was an inevitable future. It was a given. But Mina didn't like it one bit. In fact, she hated it—she hated the idea so much that she froze, feeling irrationally angry at the imagined future.

It was then she realized that something is not right with her.

"I'm just not interested, unnie," Mina heard Tzuyu say and those words calmed her a bit even though her head is still reeling at the implication of her reaction. Still, she felt herself relax and she subtly let out a relieved sigh which, unbeknownst to her, was witnessed both by an amused Nayeon and a confused Jihyo.

"You mean not yet," Nayeon said in that you-better-listen-to-your-unnie tone as she patted Tzuyu's head. "But when the time comes that you finally fall in love, you'll try to get your hands on anything that could help you sort out your feelings."

Mina knows that Nayeon's words are not meant for her, but she felt the gravity of it when her mind finally accepted that maybe she is probably kinda possibly in love with Tzuyu. Confused, she tried to find comfort the only way she knew how—by holding onto Tzuyu's arms with both her arm and laying her head atop the younger girl's shoulder with her eyes closed.

As she let the familiar comfort that comes with being close to Tzuyu seeps in, acutely aware of the irony of it all, Mina couldn't help the laughter that burst from her when Tzuyu asked, "is that what happened to you, unnie?"

Amidst the growing dread building inside her, Mina continued laughing when she saw how Tzuyu duck her head away from Nayeon's hand.

* * *

Mina likes playing with the odds only when she is completely sure that it's gonna be in her favor. Usually, it meant that she has to have something advantageous, be it a skill, a talent, or a specific knowledge.

So despite being scared of the unknown and being uncomfortable with risks in general, knowing that most things can be handled with enough preparation and sheer hard work is enough for Mina.

But love is something you can't prepare for, and this means that Mina couldn't and wouldn't take any risk.

Especially with Tzuyu.

But there is another thing that Mina has never prepared herself for. In a way, it's something she doesn't even know about herself:

She is a jealous person.

It was during one of their Vlives—their second anniversary to be exact. Days prior to it, Nayeon has been bugging Tzuyu for a kiss ever since the younger girl declared that she wanted a kiss from them on her birthday. After that, everyone, especially Nayeon, found her extra adorable.

Mina has to bite her tongue a couple of times to prevent herself from saying something scathing to their eldest member whenever she gets too close to Tzuyu. Ever since Mina realized that she has feelings for Tzuyu, she has kept herself in check for fear of saying something inappropriate. Instead, she used her acting skills—a skill that, funnily enough, the Japanese members all possess in great abundance—and tried to play it off as something funny.

But then the anniversary Vlive happened.

Nayeon is always saying that Mina has a tendency to say things without thinking it through. Mina would always agree even though she never notices it herself. But when Tzuyu agreed to kiss Nayeon, to both jeers and horror of the other members, Mina can't help the series of questions that came out of her mouth.

"Kiss? They can't do that, right?"

No one heard her the first time but it didn't bother her—she was used to it. But when someone insisted that it should be a real kiss, she can't help but ask Jeongyeon directly. "Are they really going to kiss for real?"

Jeongyeon's headshake is not enough to calm her down. And when Tzuyu gave an actual kiss, her lipstick marking Nayeon's reddening left cheek, the only question her reeling mind came up with to Tzuyu is:

"Tzuyu, when did you apply lipstick?"

And after the excitement of the novelty kiss died down, Mina's head is still reeling as she tried to keep the smile on her face while shaking off the unfamiliar feeling of jealousy that is clinging on her. But when she realized she couldn't, she decided to be creative instead.

"Can you please tell Jeongyeon or Momo to switch seats?" she whispered to Sana when she got close enough. "I want Tzuyu to sit beside me later."

What Mina likes most about Sana, despite being a loud and proud extrovert, is her ability to accurately read the mood. So even with a confused expression etched on her face, she just agreed without any words and immediately went to the two to relay Mina's wish.

So when Mina sat down, now beside Tzuyu, she finally felt calm enough; but apparently not calm enough to be okay with Tzuyu putting her arm around Momo.

Nayeon is always saying that Mina has a tendency to say things without thinking it through. So when she playfully told Tzuyu to "stop cuddling with others who is not me", she realized how right Nayeon is.

It was just another Vlive. But since it was their group anniversary, it was one of the special ones. But for Mina, it was special for more than one reason: it was a reminder how she can surprise even herself.

* * *

Mina is the kind of person who is at peace when everything is the way they should be. Which is why she likes legos and puzzles—she likes the feeling of having control over things.

So when she noticed that Tzuyu is avoiding her, she started panicking because it's _not_ how things _should_ be.

"Is she mad at me?"

"I don't think so," Jihyo reassured her. "You know how she could be."

But Mina knows Tzuyu more than anyone else in the group. So she knows how it's unusual it is for the younger girl to go this long without interacting with Mina.

Still, she knows not to make a big deal of it even though she can feel the bubbling panic in her. As she quietly sat down, trying not to think about it too much, she saw Nayeon quietly looking her way with this uncharacteristic pensive look—a rarity for someone who spends her free time being anything but.

To calm herself down, Mina decided to play on her phone. But every few seconds or so, she would glance at Tzuyu who is busy talking to Momo. She can still feel Nayeon's stare, which she kept ignoring, before said girl suddenly stood up and walked towards Tzuyu.

She saw how the older girl looped her arm around Tzuyu and it made her pause with worry—Nayeon is not as gentle as she wanted her to be. But when Tzuyu didn't express any distress, just surprise, she relaxed in her position before busying herself again with her phone.

But as she glance Tzuyu's way again, she noticed how the girl is also looking her way. Out of panic, she immediately looked down and didn't look up until she felt movements near her.

"I just talked to her. I'll talk to her again later after this. Don't worry too much." Despite being surprised, she can't help but relax at Nayeon's words.

"Thank you, unnie."

"Any time."

Mina is the kind of person who is at peace when everything is the way they should be—when right is right, left is left, up is up, and down is down. But as time goes by, she learned that life is a directionless journey and even if you try following the right path, you can sometimes get lost.

She has learned how to deal with it, but sometimes it's still too hard for her. But as Tzuyu sit beside her on the van and cuddle with her, telling her how tired she is before softly asking her if she can cook her some omurice later, Mina thinks that everything will be alright after all.

* * *

"I love you."

Mina can feel the heat creeping on her face before she buried her head in Tzuyu's chest. She can feel the vibration of Tzuyu's silent laughter and she can't help but slap the other girl's leg playfully.

"You always do that."

"Do what?"

"Embarrass me." Mina looked up and roamed her eyes towards the other girls who are completely ignoring them, too engrossed in watching the movie. "Stop that."

The younger girl just held her closer and Mina automatically tightened her grip on Tzuyu's torso. "It's just cute how you're still embarrassed after all these time."

"I just am." Mina buried her head again. "I love you, too," she added in a muffled reply and she can't help but smile when she felt how Tzuyu just kissed the top of her head in reply. "So much."

Being a celebrity comes with a price: one of which is having the world's eyes on you both with judgement and admiration. Inevitably, it also meant that privacy becomes a privilege and everything has a script that needs to be followed.

So being in a relationship within the group meant that certain restrictions and rules must be adhered to—a price to pay for being together while still having a (successful) career.

Mina is glad to be able to live her dreams, yes. But at times, the restrictions can be suffocating—when she wanted to get close, she was always reminded to stay away. Mostly her because, compared to Tzuyu, Mina has difficulty restraining herself whenever they're too close to each other.

So when she started to feel herself drift off, lulled by the rhythm of Tzuyu's heartbeat, she idly thought how grateful she is for moments like these—the kind of moments where she can cling to Tzuyu as tightly and as much as she could without anyone reminding her to let go. The kind of moments where Tzuyu can express herself more without the fear of someone hearing her be uncharacteristically sweet to Mina.

And before Mina let sleep take over, she was again reminded how thankful she is for these moments when she heard Tzuyu whisper:

"You're my happily ever after."

* * *

**End**

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:
> 
> You can read [Nayeon's Favorite Story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23838340) next as it serves as the "sequel" of this story.


End file.
